Somali radio station and TV satellite destroyed; one dead

New York, December 21, 2009—Mortar shells destroyed the Radio Voice of Democracy building this morning in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, killing Amal Abukar, 22, the wife of the director of the station, Abdirahman Yasin. Abukar died instantly after three mortar shells landed on the station’s building in northern Mogadishu at 10:30 a.m., local journalists told CPJ. Yasin and a producer, Adam Hussein, were injured in the attack.

Yasin was hit by
shrapnel in his right leg and Hussein sustained a kidney injury; both
journalists received treatment at a local hospital and are recovering, local
journalists said. No one claimed responsibility for the shelling. Local journalists
told CPJ they believe the station was caught in crossfire between insurgents,
government soldiers, and African Union peacekeepers after insurgents fired
mortars near the parliament building, according to local news reports.

On Sunday, mortar shells
hit the newly constructed satellite dish and antenna for Shabelle Television, a
new station, the management of Shabelle
Media Network reported. It is unclear whether the shelling was a targeted
attack, local journalists said. The station has remained off the air since.

“We send our deepest condolences to the director of Radio Voice of
Democracy, Abdirahman Yasin, and to all the staff of both media outlets,” CPJ
Africa Program Coordinator Tom Rhodes
said today. “CPJ calls on all sides of the conflict to be aware of the presence
of journalists and to ensure their safety.”

In the northeast semi-autonomous region of Puntland,
the Puntland Intelligence Service arrested Voice of America correspondent
Mohamed Yasin and took him to the capital city, Garowe, according to local
journalists. Roughly 30 security agents visited Yasin’s home in Galkayo Sunday
evening, local journalists said. He is now being held at the Puntland
Intelligence Service offices, they told CPJ. The reason for the arrest is still
unknown although local journalists said they suspect it may be due to Yasin’s
report on displaced Somali citizens who complained of mistreatment in Puntland.
A police
officer fired at Yasin’s car on November 17 at a checkpoint in front of the
regional governor’s office, according to the Media Association of Puntland.